A Light Like No Other
by IlanaNight
Summary: Lucciano calls off Skiel's attack, leaving Ruka perplexed as to why. Perhaps a visit from the red-haired android will clear things up a bit.


Lucciano frowned as the Crimson Dragon made it's way over to save Rua, halting the fall that would have taken the imbecilic human's life. Of course, this maneuver left Ruka wide open for another direct attack, one that was certain to end her life. Lucciano drew his hand back and prepared to call out Skiel's final attack.

But as he looked into her hazel eyes filled with sorrow he couldn't bring himself to call out that attack. Her soul was too pure, too kind. He couldn't just kill that. Lucciano shook his head angrily and forced out a triumphant laugh, calling off Skiel as he skated off.

Lucciano was in low spirits when he returned to the Arc Cradle, upset at himself for showing weakness as he had. Placido greeted him with a sneer, "What? Did you lose? You must have, considering I don't see her card with you."

Lucciano looked up and rolled his eyes, "I did no such thing. Unlike you, I'm able to defeat a simple mortal. The reason I don't have her card is because that damned dragon intervened."

Placido scoffed and smirked, "Well, then I suppose you've failed. We'll just have to leave and formulate another plan. Preferably one where 'emotions' can't get in the way."

Lucciano glared at Placido and walked away without an answer. "Who said anything about emotions? It's not like I held Skiel back because of any emotion I feel towards Ruka...right? It was just because she could be the purity humans need." Lucciano shook his head angrily and marched up to his room, shutting the door harshly behind him as he walked over to sit with his head in his hands, pondering.

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Ruka watched with confusion as Lucciano withdrew Skiel and sped off without another word. "I was almost certain he was going to kill me right there." But there was no time for her to ponder the android's actions, she had to check on her brother. Lucciano may have spared her an attack, but Rua had not been so lucky.

Once she had made certain Rua was alright, safe and tucked into bed at home with a promise from Yuusei to come by and check up in the morning, Ruka slipped out onto the balcony, sitting in a chair by the edge and looking out over the city. She had brought Yuusei and the others to the site where Lucciano's house had been, but all that remained was an empty field, almost as if the place itself had been an illusion.

An illusion. Just as Lucciano had been an illusion. He was no kind, intelligent schoolboy looking to make friends, but a liar and a cheat. And a dangerous one at that. But, that train of thought brought her back to earlier today. Rather than taking what should have been his final turn and attack her, fulfilling whatever plot it was he was following, he had called Skiel back and skated away with nothing but a sneer. There was no logical explanation for it, she had been wide open, the Crimson Dragon saving her brother.

And it wasn't as if Lucciano truly had any feelings for her. Each and every laugh and smile had been nothing but a farce, a façade intended to win her heart only to smash it into a thousand pieces as the truth laughed in her face. And all while the dark-haired one watched, two witnesses to her falling so easily for the trap.

She sighed deeply, trying to pull herself out of those thoughts. Better to simply move past that mistake and be certain not to make it ever again. After all, Lucciano was still around, she'd have to be on her guard in case he took a new form.

"The view from up here really is lovely, you know." The soft, familiar voice came from behind her and Ruka turned with a gasp, eyes narrowed in anger. There, standing before her, was Lucciano. Dressed in the blue and green garb of earlier today, the contraption she now knew was a duel disk re-curled behind his head. His hands were held behind his back, his face almost blank.

"Go away, Lucciano. If that's even your name. Or did you make that up too? Another part of your little plan?" Ruka's voice was full of spite, masking the betrayal and hurt that bled through in her expression.

A knowing look filled Lucciano's eyes, he had expected a reaction similar to this, though it sparked a pain he couldn't name. He pushed the reaction away, taking his hand from behind his back and offering her a single yellow rose. "What I did to you, in deceiving you, was a matter of utmost cruelty. And, I'm sorry that I went through with this plan with no thought to how it might affect you."

Ruka's mouth turned down even further at that, the corners pressing in. She turned away from him, facing out to the city again. "If you're sorry then I don't have a brother. Why are you even here? You can't honestly expect me to accept a rose and forgive you for lying to me and then almost killing my brother!"

"No, I don't expect that, but that doesn't mean I can't apologise. And that is what I came here to do, because I believe that I owe that to you. I may have realised it too late, but you deserve much better than to be on the receiving end of any scheme." Lucciano leaned over, setting the rose beside Ruka on the railing. "Thank you for hearing me out, and for showing me something I would have never seen otherwise. You can keep the flower, or drop it down into the city, whichever you prefer, it's yours to do with as you wish."

Lucciano turned, walking away from her and back to the portal he had cut open from the Arc Cradle, but Ruka's voiced stopped him, "Wait. Before you leave as quickly as you came, tell me one thing."

With a nod, he turned to her, a small, sad smile on his face, "Ask away, and if I can, I will answer."

"Why did you spare me when you could have ended my life and taken Ancient Fairy Dragon without a second thought? You'd have succeeded in your plan right then and there, and you wouldn't have had to come apologise." Her face was turned down, shadows playing over her features and hiding her expression.

"Because you're the brightest example of human spirit I've ever seen. I couldn't bring myself to rid this world of that, not for any cause. You could be humanity's saving grace, and I'm not risking that chance. Good bye, Ruka, don't ever change." And with that final statement, he was gone.

****Ruka turned from the closing portal to the yellow rose beside her, picking it up and bringing it to her nose. It was real, not any sort of synthetic material. As she inhaled the light scent, a single tear fell from the edge of her eye into the petals. She would be keeping that flower long past the day it wilted and dried out.


End file.
